It’s difficult to know what will translate to the regular season and what is just an early preseason mirage, but these are some of the guys who have been increasing their fantasy stock over the last couple of weeks….

Jaron Brown WR, Cardinals: Brown suffered an ACL tear last October, but he’s all systems go and running faster than ever. John Brown has been dealing for a quad injury for weeks, and has always been slow to recover, so Jaron is running as the No.2 in Arizona for what could be several weeks into the season.

Zay Jones WR, Bills: The sudden trade that put Sammy Watkins in Los Angeles and subsequently brought Jordan Matthews to Buffalo may have ultimately provided more questions than answers. One thing we can be sure of though is that Zay Jones is going to get a shot at becoming the No.1 WR for the Bills as a rookie with Matthews still recovering from a chest injury and Anquan Boldin likely to play almost exclusively out of the slot.

Seth DeValve TE, Browns: I shudder to think that Brock Osweiler will continue to start under center for the Browns, but if he does, DeValve could see a significant role in the Browns offense. Rookie David Njoku is struggling with back soreness and dropped passes at a position that is notoriously difficult for first-year players, and Randall Telfer is listed as the top tight end, but his role is more of a blocking one. Athletic and sure handed, DeValve is primed to see action early and often in Cleveland.

Taywan Taylor WR, Titans: Taylor is one of the last in line in a crowded Titans receiving corps, but his preseason play is displaying the natural playmaking ability we witnessed at the Senior Bowl where he was one of the fastest players on the field by our Catapult metrics. He has to leapfrog a few good players to step into fantasy relevance, but the path may be clearer than you think with Eric Decker already prone to injury and Corey Davis week to week with a hamstring problem. If nothing else, Taylor is a must-have in dynasty leagues.

Darren McFadden RB, Cowboys: There’s definitely some risk/reward potential to think about with this one, as there is a possibility that Zeke Elliott’s suspension is delayed until next season, but McFadden has the potential to be a first-half-of-season savior behind the league’s best O-line in Dallas. As long as his ADP doesn’t skyrocket, McFadden is well worth the pick.

Kenny Golladay WR, Lions: Possibly fifth in the initial pecking order in Detroit, Golladay is making an argument for starter’s snaps with dominant preseason play like his his 3/52/2 line on Saturday against the Colts. The redzone is where I see him making his biggest impact in year one.

Ted Ginn WR, Saints: I rarely saw Ginn leave the field during the closed practice I was able to attend at Saints camp last week. He was inconsistent in Carolina, and he may very well be in New Orleans (he dropped an easy TD grab last week in the end zone), but they’re going to give him snaps and targets galore in a high-octane passing offense.

Nelson Agholor WR, Eagles: He’s still a flier, but Agholor’s role has grown since the departure of Jordan Matthews to Buffalo. He’s squandered opportunity to thrive in the past, but our sources in Philly say that Agholor has turned a corner and is doing all the right things to be a productive member of the Eagles organization, on and off the field.

Thomas Rawls/Chris Carson RB, Seahawks: Contrary to popular belief, Rawls has been the first-team back in Seattle over Eddie Lacy, which isn’t that hard to believe if you leave out his 2016 season – he led the NFL in yards per carry as a rookie in 2015. Carson is playing well behind those two — he’s already ahead of Alex Collins and he’s been deadly in the redzone during the preseason. He’s someone to consider late in dynasty drafts.

Amara Darboh WR, Seahawks: One of my standouts at this year’s Senior Bowl, Darboh is turning heads at Seahawks camp with his ability to make catches in tight spaces and run-after-the-catch ability. We have reason to believe the ‘Hawks are going to be throwing the ball more than ever this year, and without a clear dominant receiver in the mix, Darboh has as good a chance as anybody to carve out significant playing time.

]]>http://rosterwatch.com/2017-nfl-preseason-early-fantasy-risers/feed3RosterWatch Podcast Episode 35: Preseason Week 1 Fantasy Fallouthttp://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-35-preseason-week-1-fantasy-fallout
http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-35-preseason-week-1-fantasy-fallout#commentsTue, 15 Aug 2017 18:50:30 +0000http://rosterwatch.com/?p=23921Continue Reading →]]>In Episode 35 of the RosterWatch Podcast, Alex Dunlap flies the ship solo in picking through some fantasy news and notes to start the week and unpacking some of his observations from the NFL’s first full-weekend slate of 2017 preseason action. He outlines a new worry about Leonard Fournette while expressing increasing optimism regarding Joe Mixon. He breaks down the state of the Cowboys backfield as it pertains to Ezekiel Elliott’s handcuff and ponders who’s hype train will finally sputter and die sooner between Kevin White and Breshad Perriman. Finally, he reads the draft order for the second installment of the RW listener fantasy football league.

]]>http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-35-preseason-week-1-fantasy-fallout/feed14PRO 2017 WR/CB Individual Projected Matchup Strength-Of-Schedule (Top 50 ADP)http://rosterwatch.com/2017-wrcb-individual-projected-matchup-strength-of-schedule-top-50-adp
http://rosterwatch.com/2017-wrcb-individual-projected-matchup-strength-of-schedule-top-50-adp#commentsMon, 14 Aug 2017 18:28:31 +0000http://rosterwatch.com/?p=23914Continue Reading →]]>This tool is useful for identifying what receivers may benefit the most from facing the worst cornerbacks in projected individual matchups (as opposed to the unit matchups highlighted in the other tools) and who may have trouble with a schedule featuring more talented corners in coverage. The individual matchup projections are made based on information about where certain receivers usually line up (outside vs. slot, etc.) and the star-coverage or “shadow” tendencies of the best opposing corners’ defensive schemes. Projecting these matchups so far out is an inexact science to say the least, so the data should be used more as food for thought than an absolute predictor. We put much more stock in our time-proven unit rankings in applications like the epic RosterWatch Matchup Tool than in projected individual matchup rankings. You can find our season-long unit-ranking strength-of-schedule rankings here:

With this said, those with excellent or horrible-looking schedules in the shared spreadsheet are players you’ll want to take note of and keep in the back of your mind when thinking about how you’ll attack your fantasy draft. Also remember, since slot corners (outside of guys like Jimmie Ward and sometimes Chris Harris Jr., etc.) are usually less talented than star outside corners, you’ll notice that slot receivers generally rank a little higher in this tool than outside wide receivers.

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AS ALWAYS, THIS IS A SUPPLEMENTARY TOOL AND NOT MEANT IN ANY WAY TO REPLACE THE DIRECTIONS OF THE CHEAT SHEET. ALWAYS CONSULT THE CHEAT SHEET FOR ALL FANTASY DRAFT DECISIONS AS THIS INFO, ALONG WITH MUCH, MUCH MORE, IS ALREADY BAKED IN.

]]>http://rosterwatch.com/2017-wrcb-individual-projected-matchup-strength-of-schedule-top-50-adp/feed10PRO All Cheat Sheets Updated to Account for Ezekiel Elliott and Sammy Watkins Newshttp://rosterwatch.com/all-cheat-sheets-updated-to-account-for-ezekiel-elliott-and-sammy-watkins-news
http://rosterwatch.com/all-cheat-sheets-updated-to-account-for-ezekiel-elliott-and-sammy-watkins-news#commentsSat, 12 Aug 2017 13:39:49 +0000http://rosterwatch.com/?p=23910Continue Reading →]]>All Magical Cheat Sheet products have been updated to account for Friday’s onslaught of news headlined by the six-game suspension of Zeke Elliott and the trade of Sammy Watkins to the L.A. Rams (along with a few other tweaks and regularly-scheduled maintenance).

RosterWatch Nation, the time has come to once again dominate your fantasy drafts. The original epic three-step cheat sheet is now available for download to RosterWatch PRO members. Most of you have used the Cheat Sheet in previous seasons and you know it’s the simplest, most effective and most easy-to-use fantasy football draft tool on the market.

Just don’t break the rules by bastardizing the mystical sheet. AND ALWAYS make sure you are drafting using the most recently updated version.

Some takeaways from attending Saints and Bears training camps this week on behalf of RosterWatch Nation…

Saints Camp

Adrian Peterson looks as spry and powerful as he ever has. But then again, so does Mark Ingram. They switched out first team reps almost evenly.

AP’s hands seem to be just as good as Ingram’s, as he caught everything thrown his way. The pair almost seems redundant down to their potential for injury, which I think is why they’re both there.

Travaris Cadet was the 3rd back in drills, and was used almost exclusively as a pass catcher. With bigger, seasoned backs who can also catch the ball in front of him, I’m not excited about Alvin Kamara‘s role this season.

Ted Ginn Jr. rarely came off the field and is currently the no.2 receiver on the depth chart. I don’t think he’s only a deep threat for this offense. Expect Ginn to play the majority of offensive snaps for New Orleans.

Don’t be too worried about Willie snead though. He’s spending time in the slot and out wide with regularity. Snead was on the field almost as much as Ginn, and because of his skill set, I think Snead will be more valuable fantasy wise.

Drew Brees looks like a 25 year old on the field, moving around the pocket with ease. Expect another top 5 finish from the veteran.

2nd year WR, Tommylee Lewis stood out to me most on the day. A smallish receiver, he was electrifying out of the slot and as a kick returner. What you see in camp doesn’t always translate to game day though, so he’s just a name to watch right now.

Though I didn’t see him do much that day, Coach Payton had good things to say about rookie Travin Dural after practice, mainly that he moved well and had good footwork. He underwhelmed at the Senior Bowl, but maybe he’s worth a look LATE in DEEP, DEEP fantasy drafts.

Coby Fleener sat out of contact drills during practice, after a hard hit in a previous session may have rendered him with a concussion. Clay Harbor made several plays in his stead.

Bears Camp

If you are concerned about the state of the Bears passing game, you have good reason. I saw more balls dropped than caught on the day.

The culprits are probably the QBs. Glennon looked uninspired and lacked leadership on the field. The one memorable throw on the day for him was an interception – not a good sign.

Mitch Trubisky looked even worse. The Bears are bringing him along slowly and for good reason. He had several underthrown passes, two of which were picks, and he often appeared confused in the pocket. I don’t think we’ll see him much this season, unless the Bears start to tank – which is very possible. His nice performance in Week 1 of the preseason should be attributed to playing versus scrubs until we see him play well over a consisted period.

Mark Sanchez was the best looking QB on the day (which is pure trash). He commanded the field and made smart decisions on the field and may be the Bear’s best chance to win on Sundays.

None of the motley crew behind them made much of an impact except for UDFA Tanner Gentry from Wyoming. The Bears’ media guy talked him up before practice, and the kid delivered with a one armed grab on a deep route and a TD on a slant. He’s definitely earned himself a long look.

Victor Cruz moved well at practice but couldn’t seem to catch anything. He easily had the most drops on the day.

Rueben Randle and TE Zach Miller were targeted often in the red-zone. Miller looks like the guy at TE, but rookie Adam Shaheen looks like a younger, faster version of the veteran. If Miller misses time this season, which isn’t unlikey, we could see a lot more of Shaheen. Dion Sims is primarily a blocker.

RB Jordan Howard was yeoman-like in his effort on Tuesday. He’s not terribly exciting to watch, but don’t be surprised if he ends up leading the league in rushing with such a questionable passing game.

4th rounder RB Tarik Cohen showed the most pop of any runner on the day and was very active throughout 11/11 drills. He displayed great vision and soft hands out of the backfield and as a kick returner. He’s got a real shot at taking 3rd down duties.

]]>http://rosterwatch.com/a-tale-of-two-cities-breaking-down-saints-and-bears-camps/feed4RosterWatch Podcast Episode 34: “There Will Be BeastQuakes” (Raiders Camp Breakdown)http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-34-there-will-be-beastquakes-raiders-camp-breakdown
http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-34-there-will-be-beastquakes-raiders-camp-breakdown#commentsThu, 10 Aug 2017 17:25:41 +0000http://rosterwatch.com/?p=23893Continue Reading →]]>In Episode 34 of the RosterWatch Podcast, Alex Dunlap is again joined by Byron Lambert as Byron continues his maniacal travels on RosterWatch Nation’s behalf for the 2017 Training Camp Tour. The two discuss Byron’s fantasy observations from having spent two days in Napa, Ca. taking in Oakland Raiders camp. They talk about Marshawn Lynch and Deandre Washington’s roles in the running game and come to a tough realization about Amari Cooper among many other Raider-centric topics. Finally, they discuss some recent news involving Carlos Hyde, Joe Mixon, D’Onta Foreman and Brandin Cooks while deciphering how it affects the slotting of each player on the magical RosterWatch Cheat Sheet. Unlock all of their content with a PRO subscription at RosterWatch.com and support the podcast by giving it a killer 5-star review wherever you listen.

RosterWatch Nation, the time has come to once again dominate your fantasy drafts. The original epic three-step cheat sheet (PPR) is now available for download to RosterWatch PRO members. Most of you have used the Cheat Sheet in previous seasons and you know it’s the simplest, most effective and most easy-to-use fantasy football draft tool on the market.

Just don’t break the rules by bastardizing the sheet. AND ALWAYS make sure you are drafting using the most recently updated version.

]]>http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-2017-cheat-sheet-ppr-updated-to-v2-4/feed6RosterWatch Podcast Episode 33: Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers Camp Breakdownshttp://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-33-broncos-seahawks-and-49ers-camp-breakdowns
http://rosterwatch.com/rosterwatch-podcast-episode-33-broncos-seahawks-and-49ers-camp-breakdowns#commentsTue, 08 Aug 2017 18:45:35 +0000http://rosterwatch.com/?p=23884Continue Reading →]]>In Episode 33 of the RosterWatch Podcast, Alex Dunlap is joined by Byron Lambert who is calling in live from a rented van on the way from 49ers camp in Santa Clara to Oakland Raiders camp in Napa, Ca. Byron goes over fantasy highlights from his first few Training Camp Tour stops in Denver and Seattle — including an exclusive interview with Seahawks RB CJ Prosise — before going on to preview the 2017 49ers. They discuss Carlos Hyde’s projected role and the possibility of fake news from the Bay Area media about the way his offseason has been covered. They also touch on what pieces could be fantasy relevant in what, on paper, appears to be a fairly unappetizing WR unit in San Francisco. Unlock ALL of their content with a PRO membership at RosterWatch.com and support the podcast by giving it a killer 5-star review in iTunes or wherever you listen your podcasts. ​

In Episode 32 of the RosterWatch Podcast, the Trashman’s flight out of the Big Easy is delayed, so Alex Dunlap catches up with him about his observations from Saints camp en route to Chicago for the 2017 RosterWatch training camp tour. They touch on Willie Snead, Ted Ginn Jr., Michael Thomas and the touch distribution between Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Adrian Peterson during 11-on-11 periods. Unlock all of their content with a PRO membership at RosterWatch.com and please give the podcast a killer 5-star review in iTunes. Introduction by Dash Dunlap.